River Bend elects Town Council members

By Sue Book, Sun Journal Staff

Published: Tuesday, November 5, 2013 at 11:20 PM.

RIVER BEND — If the River Bend Town Council election had been decided on early voting totals, veteran Councilmen Irving J. Van Slyke, Jr. and newcomers Buddy Sheffield and Luci Avery would have taken the three seats up for grabs.

Their leads over newcomers Karen McVicker and Andrea I. Oliva held up through Tuesday’s turnout as a total of 624 of the town’s 2,647 registered voters, or 23.57 percent, weighed in on the candidates in this off-year election.

In all, Van Slyke led with 491 votes, Avery got 371, Sheffield got 347, Oliva took 279, and McVicker received 218, according to unofficial results.

All five of the candidates spent the full day greeting voters at River Bend Town Hall, and all the candidates, as well as voters entering and leaving the polls, seemed confident the town couldn’t go wrong regardless of their choice.

Van Slyke said about his third term: “My first priority is to maintain the town’s infrastructure, provide for a quality staff 24/7, and keep the town on sound financial footing” to have sufficient fund balance for to be ready for disasters and hurricane cleanup before federal money comes.

Sheffield said this is his first crack at political leadership, but “I have spent a lot of my life trying to find creative ways to do things without spending lots of money and I just feel I can help my home town.”

RIVER BEND — If the River Bend Town Council election had been decided on early voting totals, veteran Councilmen Irving J. Van Slyke, Jr. and newcomers Buddy Sheffield and Luci Avery would have taken the three seats up for grabs.

Their leads over newcomers Karen McVicker and Andrea I. Oliva held up through Tuesday’s turnout as a total of 624 of the town’s 2,647 registered voters, or 23.57 percent, weighed in on the candidates in this off-year election.

In all, Van Slyke led with 491 votes, Avery got 371, Sheffield got 347, Oliva took 279, and McVicker received 218, according to unofficial results.

All five of the candidates spent the full day greeting voters at River Bend Town Hall, and all the candidates, as well as voters entering and leaving the polls, seemed confident the town couldn’t go wrong regardless of their choice.

Van Slyke said about his third term: “My first priority is to maintain the town’s infrastructure, provide for a quality staff 24/7, and keep the town on sound financial footing” to have sufficient fund balance for to be ready for disasters and hurricane cleanup before federal money comes.

Sheffield said this is his first crack at political leadership, but “I have spent a lot of my life trying to find creative ways to do things without spending lots of money and I just feel I can help my home town.”

Avery said, “People seem to care about what happens here and the great attendance at candidates forums shows that people care about our lovely town of River Bend” and she is ready to help lead them.

Tuesday’s vote count is unofficial until after the canvass by Craven County Board of Elections.

Sue Book can be reached at 252-635-o5665 or sue.book@newbernsj.com. Follow her on Twitter@SueJBook.